DESIGN NAME: VisioFocus
PRIMARY FUNCTION: Thermometer
INSPIRATION: In the 90’s, tympanic thermometers were the most advanced thermometers on the market. However they were not user-friendly, they caused discomfort to the patients and required expensive hygienic covers. Aiming at eliminating these problems, we designed Thermofocus, the first thermometer able to take the temperature at distance on the forehead thanks to an optical system indicating the correct distance at which to take the measurement: indeed, should the distance change, temperature would change too.
UNIQUE PROPERTIES / PROJECT DESCRIPTION: VisioFocus is the evolution of Thermofocus, designed not only to measure the body temperature without any contact with the skin (the most hygienic way to do that), but to project the temperature directly on the patients’s forehead or on any other surface. The projection system, which is absolutely safe (no laser), also indicates the correct distance and the correct area whose temperature is taken. It takes objects’ temperature as well.
OPERATION / FLOW / INTERACTION: Both living beings and objects emit infrared radiations with different wavelength according to their surface. This radiation is captured by the termopile sensor inside VisioFocus, and amplified and elaborated in a sophisticated way to give the temperature. As the forehead’s temperature of a person is highly affected by the environment, VisioFocus, knowing the room temperature, adjusts the real forehead temperature in order to give a temperature comparable to the one in other body’s sites.
PROJECT DURATION AND LOCATION: The project of VisioFocus started in 2012 and was managed directly in our company in Varese, while some parts of the device were projected by external suppliers. For example, the shape was designed by an agency in Rome, the project of the PCB by a laboratory in Como, the design of the lenses for the projection was made by an optical engineering in Rome, the project of the mould of the lenses in Udine, and all the other moulds were projected near Varese.
FITS BEST INTO CATEGORY: Medical Devices and Medical Equipment Design
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PRODUCTION / REALIZATION TECHNOLOGY: One of the more complicate parts of the project was the projection system. In fact, it was necessary to realize a very small and “negative” Lcd display, through which the light of a low consumption Led had to aim. Moreover, the lenses had to enlarge the image of the digits of the display and, at the same time, to project it clearly on a surface placed at the device working distance (6 cm). The lenses have to avoid any aberration of the image, thus providing a perfectly focused projection.
SPECIFICATIONS / TECHNICAL PROPERTIES: Dimensions: 144 x 43.5 x 21.5 mm (5.67 x 1.71 x 0.85 inches) including cap;
Weight: 98 gr (3.46 oz.)- batteries included
TAGS: Non contact thermometer, no touch thermometer, temperature projection
RESEARCH ABSTRACT: It is essential to know that, while other parts of the body are protected by clothes, the forehead is usually exposed to the air that dissipates heating and thus reduces the forehead temperature according to the room temperature. We made thousands of measurements on many people at room temperatures from 16 to 40°C, to find the precise correlation between the temperature on the forehead and on other body sites and to find the correct adjustment to be applied by the software in every situation.
CHALLENGE: We invented the non contact forehead measurement few years after the first tympanic thermometer was launched on the market by a big multinational company making a lot of advertising investment. Therefore, many people was wondering how such a smaller company as Tecnimed could have created such a better technology. Indeed, many companies tried to copy our systems, but we have always managed to defend our exclusive device, thanks to the several patents protecting many aspects of our technology.
ADDED DATE: 2016-02-26 12:50:08
TEAM MEMBERS (4) : Director: Francesco Bellifemine, Design Manager: Vincenzo Rudi, Product manager: Iolanda Scibelli and Regulatory affair responsible: Cinzia Bellifemine
IMAGE CREDITS: image#1: Visiofocus; image#2: Visiofocus Pro (suitable for use in hospitals and ambulances); image#3: Visiofocus unsed in the dark; image#5: Visiofocus mini; image#5: Visiofocus in use on a baby;
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